Neutral Ground
by Libellen
Summary: Somewhere in someplace in another time a declaration of war had just been made. She learned two very important things: 1) When in opposition against Aomine Daiki , there is no neutral ground and 2) the only one who could beat him in basketball is himself. Aomine/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Neutral Ground**

**Chapter One:**

The sudden blaring horn of a passing car cut through the stillness of an otherwise quiet April morning.

"Sorry!" An apology pushed out of her lungs as she slammed her palms on the hood of a car.

There was a kind of thrill that passed through her veins when running against Time, however, she was not built like an athlete and running didn't come naturally to her. Her legs were heavy with fatigue and her muscles ached with a pain she attributed to her sedentary life.

She had been drowning in anxiety since she had taken her first breath in the country, forcing down a language her mother adopted long before she was born. Her mother spoke it with an ease and a precision of a native, but the natural leaning had skipped to her younger sibling. She was left grasping at words, phrases, and characters in her desperate attempt at some preparation for her first year as a student at Tōō Academy. Much to her dismay, she had overslept and there wouldn't be any words in Japanese to excuse her for missing the morning ceremony much less a string of apologies for the first period she was about to miss.

"Ayase Reina?"

She clung to the door frame, her breathing coming out in sharp rasps. Reina croaked out an apology as she entered the classroom. A rising murmur seemed to grow in tuned with her stride. She felt the nervous anticipation clawing their way from the pits of stomach.

The teacher, a middle aged woman with a peculiar set of brown eyes knitted her brows together. Her lips were tightly pressed, the lines of disappointment shaping the curves of her mouth. She was unlike the kindly elderly teacher who had received her admission papers. She had no previous school records in the country, and gathering the ones she did have were met with delays. Reina had prepared as much as she could the short amount of time she was granted, and he was gracious enough to look kindly at her circumstance.

"Akira-sensei informed me of your late enrollment, but this is no excuse. You're not making a good impression of yourself, Ayase-san." She reprimanded, "Please, understand this can't happen again."

Reina nodded, feeling the tension tight against her muscles.

"There's an empty seat next to Sakurai-kun," the teacher gestured at the student sitting in the second to the last seat in a row next to the window.

"Hai, Nakao-sensei!" Reina saw a hand shot up into the air belonging to a brown-haired youth with a rather flustered disposition.

Nakao gestured for Reina to take her seat and she eagerly took quick steps down the aisle. Once settled in her chair, Reina smiled at her classmate to which he reluctantly returned. She chalked it up to those awkward first impressions—not that she could necessarily blame him. She had swept into the room with her uniform askew, sweat dripping from the side of her face, and her black hair sticking out in ways that defied logic.

She let out a defeated sigh, her eyes lingering on the wooden floor. They were a light shade of chestnut that had faded away from repeated abuse, black skid marks from chairs and tables etched on the surface. Her gazed paused at the pair of long legs that had settled themselves underneath Sakurai's chair. Her eyes scanned the trail of limbs that belonged to a student with his arms on his desk, his head nestled on them.

.x.

At the sound of the bell, there was a collective burst of energy from the student body. Lunch time was meet with a rousing enthusiasm that if Reina hadn't kept herself in check, she would have been easily swept by it. She couldn't deny the overwhelming relief that finally settled the stubborn uneasiness she had been feeling all morning. The lessons weren't as difficult as her imagination had conjured. She was able to grasp enough of the spoken language with ease that came from hearing it in her household—the written portion was another matter, however.

Reina studied her notes. She had elegant curves to her handwriting that took a sudden dive into inscrutable scratches—English words peppered with awkwardly written characters whose lines were drawn with lumbering precision. She was sure they only made sense to her and the wasn't really what she had aspired for herself. It was a disappointment to say the least.

"Ayase-san?" Reina turned to the boy sitting adjacent to her. He introduced himself as Sakurai Ryo, his shy and seemingly fragile temperament was quick to show itself with how equally agile he was at apologizing for not knowing to shake her hand.

"It was my mistake." She studied the way his eyes seemed to glaze over with childlike innocence. "I'm not use to living in Japan yet."

He paused, "You're a foreigner?"

The question was harmless enough, but it had a complexity that many transplants like her couldn't readily answer. By citizenship, she was American. By nationality, she was a mix of her mother's strong ancestral lines to the Pacific and her father's lineage that went as far back as the Spanish colonization of the Americas. By her mother's second marriage, she was Japanese in name only.

Her lips tugged to a smile, "Is it obvious?"

"Oh, no! Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, Ayase-san!"

"Oy, Ryo." A deep rumble cut through Sakurai's words. He faltered, his body going rigid.

"Gomen, Aomine-kun! Did I wake you? I'm just talking with Ayase-san and I got carried away."

He lifted his head from his arms, untangling his limbs to a stretch, "Tch, too damn loud." A grumbling noise escaped his chest, abruptly interrupting Sakurai's preceding apology. "Is it lunch yet?" He let out a yawn.

Sakurai mouthed a yes, his body vibrating with a nervousness akin to a small frightened animal. "Didn't bring my bento today. Give me some of yours, okay?" He had a way of asking that left the other boy to stammer out an agreement.

As soon as Sakurai pulled out the bento box from his bag, Aomine snatched it from his hands, flicking the cover off and haphazardly tossing it aside. "This looks good." The low timber of his voice was unlike that of a teenager at the cusp of his youth.

If it had been anyone else, Reina would have put words to those intangible feelings that come with meeting someone attractive. He had olive skin sun-kissed by a perpetual summer, and dark blue hair that seemed to glisten to a brighter hue when the light struck it. He had a masculine curve to his face but not lacking that boyish nature common to teenagers—it was all the more prominent when he tossed a squid into his mouth then giving a self-satisfied smirk. She noted how much attitude and outward demeanor could suddenly make someone repulsive.

Reina recoiled at him devouring an onigiri.

"Sakurai-san," She spoke softly, uncertain if there was anything to be done in that situation. They seemed familiar with each other, a closeness apparent in the lack of honorifics from Aomine, and Sakurai's willingness to let him do whatever he wanted. Perhaps, she was impertinent to read into a circumstance she really had no knowledge of, but the situation didn't sit well with her. "Do you want some of mine?" Reina took out her own bento from her bag, opening the lid to show a neatly packed lunch. "It's mushroom curry with rice and vegetables."

Sakurai politely declined, "You don't have to do that, Ayase-san. Really, I don't mind sharing my lunch with Aomine-kun."

Sharing? Reina felt her jaw slack. Had she misread the situation?

"I insist." She gave another encouraging nudge but his reluctance was unwavering.

"If he doesn't want it, he doesn't want it." Aomine spoke with a finality that splintered her simple gesture into something unnecessary.

She took in breath, gathering her patience close to her bosom. "If you change your mind later," Reina dug into her bag and took out a neatly packaged onigiri, "I have some snacks."

Sakurai beamed, "You're too kind, Ayase-san. I'll let you know."

"I'll take it then." Before Reina could sputter out a protest, Aomine snatched the rice ball right out of her grasp. Reina wouldn't have described herself as confrontational. She was anything but, at least, not in a physical sense. She had no aptitude for such things. However, she felt a surge of righteous anger directed towards people like him.

He didn't lose any time in pondering possibly repercussions of his actions. Aomine ripped at the plastic cover and sank his teeth right into the plum rice ball she had made for herself last night, the same rice ball she had been saving for her commute back home, the same rice ball that would have eased the fatigue of having slept three hours the night before.

Aomine let out a hearty burp before pushing his seat back. "I'm outta here, Ryo." He gathered his bag and made his way towards the classroom door.

Her foot shot out, kicking Aomine in the back of his leg.

Somewhere in someplace in another time a declaration of war had just been made.

* * *

.x.

I really had fun setting up the beginning of this story! I hope you did too. It's a bit slow right now, but I hope to pick up the pace pretty soon. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Neutral Ground**

**Chapter Two:**

Ayase Reina learned two very important things: 1) When in opposition against Aomine Daiki, there is no neutral ground and 2) the only one who could beat him in basketball is himself.

After the incident on her first day, Reina spent most of her first two weeks stretching her abilities to the limit when it came to avoiding any kind of confrontation with Aomine, physical or otherwise. Her recklessness took her by surprise when she had struck him in the back of his leg. It was incredulous and outright infantile, she wouldn't go as far as saying she felt guilty for doing so. She didn't feel triumphant either because she had leveled herself with the likes of him.

Reina had quickly apologized as soon as her foot made contact, bowing low enough to not let her pride tumble out of her. If it had been anyone else, they might have taken her apology as sincere, but Aomine Daiki, as she was quick to discover made a mockery of any honorable interactions between two sound-minded people.

_"What the hell!?"_

_Reina flinched, "Sorry! I didn't mean to-"_

_"Don't give me that bullshit." Aomine took a step forward towards her small frame. _

_She felt a heavy cloud settle upon her when their eyes met, but a hybrid of pride and righteousness kept her from turning away. Reina tilted her chin up just a little bit more. His eyebrows twitched._

_The air in the room felt stifling as she endured Aomine's scrutinizing gaze. He studied her with a precision that made her hands clammy, a feeling of embarrassment seeping just beneath her façade. _

_Reina broke the silence, "You were being rude."_

_"Like hell I care about what you think. You're not getting any brownie points for being so damn accommodating you know." How could he suddenly turn her amiable gesture towards Sakurai into something twisted?_

_She gaped at him, flabbergasted at just how flippant he was treating the situation._

The incident had left such a strong imprint in her subconscious that Reina felt uneasy during the days that followed after. Sakurai had assured her at the time that he didn't share Aomine's perspective.

To her relief, Aomine treated her presence as a mild nuisance and didn't engage in any kind of interaction with her. However, the atmosphere in their homeroom was not left unaffected. The class representative, a homely looking girl with a short bob approached her that week. She offered to speak with the teacher to have her seat changed if sitting near Aomine gave her too much of an issue. Reina discovered that most of her classmates had a tendency to treat Aomine like a ticking bomb. They weren't wrong in their assumptions from what she could tell already.

She let out a sigh. At least there was a semblance of a truce between her and Aomine for the moment. She couldn't guarantee if the other boy would keep his silence for long. He didn't seem the type to bother with the likes of her, but he didn't seem like he would let her get away with kicking him either.

"Ayase-san, did you hear me?"

Reina looked up at Kano Manami, class representative and her current tour guide. "Uh, sorry I didn't catch that last part."

"Join The Foto Club! Yamamoto-senpai says we need more members."

"Yamamoto?" She paused in the midst of packing up her books, relieved the school day finally ended.

"Our club president." Kano explained, "Please, please, Ayase-san? You told me you like taking photos right? We have a meeting in a few minutes for new members."

"I was supposed to go home right after class, and I don't have a camera anymore."

"It will only be for a few minutes, please? The club can also give you a camera."

"I don't really like to work with digital cameras."

"No problem. Yamamoto-senpai encourages us to take photos with analogues anyway. We have a couple of 35mm cameras you can use."

Reina let out a nod, "Alright, I'll give it a try."

Kano squealed in delight, and Reina wasn't sure if she should have agreed, but the girl's upbeat personality was infectious.

"I'll go fetch you a form! Meet me in the West Building in room 1C. It's the classroom that's all the way in the back. We have a great view of the lawn outside too!"

Reina let out a soft chuckle watching Kano skip pass a couple of bewildered students. She packed up the rest of her things, taking a few moments to ease the tension from the back of her neck. She could have sworn on her better instinct that it was from her discomfort from having Aomine Daiki sit so close to her.

She shook her head, pushing all thoughts of the blue haired youth out of her mind. No other incident since that day, and Reina could only hope it would remain that way.

Reina opened the classroom door and walked right into a warm solid mass.

A pair of strong hands firmly griped the side of her arms to steady her, "Sorry! I was in a hurry." A sweet apologetic smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"You don't look half as bad when you smile like that." A sudden chill crawled up her spine. Two piercing blue eyes stilled the breath in her lungs.

"Let go!"

"Fine." Aomine pushed her back, Reina stumbling back into the classroom, arms flailing to reach for the blackboard to keep her from falling.

She looked at him incredulously and saw a flicker of surprise ghost over his eyes. "Shit." He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Shit?" Reina gathered her composure, "How about you try acting like a human being with a little more sense?"

"Hah? What the hell are you even talking about?"

"Hah? What the hell are you even talking about?"

"Are you a damn owl? Stop repeating what I say," Aomine scowled.

Reina bit her lip. There it was again. Somehow, her carefully constructed demeanor unraveled in his presence. She had only interacted with him twice and it was one too many. She had already suffered the inital embarrassment of being interrogated by her peers about her motivations for egging Aomine the way she did.

She didn't have a satisfactory answer.

"You really are lacking in some significant social skills." She detailed, "For one thing, you don't know how to apologize."

"What for? You bumped into me."

"And you're dense."

Aomine let out a mocking laugh, "You trying to piss me off?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame.

If he needed that answered, then he really was an idiot. "What I'm _trying_ to do is go to The Foto Club."

_Ahomine_. She snorted.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Reina repositioned her messenger bag to her opposite shoulder, "Let me pass." She walked towards him, suddenly aware of how heavy her limbs felt.

"_Please._"

"Excuse me?"

"Since we're on the subject of manners. Aren't _you_ being dense?"

_Oh, this motherf- _Reina sharply inhaled. "Let me pass, _please._"

"Can't hear you."

She had no desire whatsoever to engage and indulge his narcissistic personality. Reina pressed herself against the opposite door frame, fitting into whatever little space that was available.

She was genuinely surprised at just how small she felt next to him even after Sakurai had told her he was part of their school's basketball team. His towering height coupled with that permanent scowl and a bad personality made Aomine Daiki a textbook example of an unruly teenager, his saving grace was his natural talent at putting a ball inside a net.

Before she could take another step, Aomine grabbed the straps of her bag, "Hey!" She fumbled after him.

Aomine took a quick pivot to the side.

"Give it back!"

"Say _pretty please_." He dangled her bag above her head with his full arm extended over her.

Reina felt heat rise from her chest, traveling up to her cheeks and ears. There was no escaping this kind of vicious cycle with him. Any kind of retort she made, he fired back with something else that prodded at whatever little patience she had left. She wouldn't have thought of herself as someone who was quick-tempered, and she could noticeably see the difference in the way she acted with Kano and Sakurai, and even with the other students.

Reina turned her back to him, "I don't have time for this."

It was better to disengage, she told herself. There was no possible _good_ that could come out of talking with the stubborn git. Reina mentally berated herself for kicking him in the first place. It was because of her momentary lapse in control that pinned her directly in the forefront of Aomine's attentions. People like him took immense satisfaction in getting a reaction. He didn't seem the type to just leave her alone much to her dismay.

"Dai-chan!" A girl with hair that reminded Reina of pink cotton candies rounded the corner as Reina made her way to the staircase, "I've been looking for you!" She stalked towards Aomine.

"Ah, what do you want Satsuki?"

"Mou! You're trying to skip basketball practice again aren't you?"

"Tch, I don't need to practice. The only one who can beat me in basketball is me."

* * *

.x.

Another chapter! I initially had planned for Aomine to threaten Reina but he finds her more amusing than anything else so he really wasn't all that mad about her kicking him haha.

I hope you enjoyed reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Neutral Ground**

**Chapter Three:**

Momoi Satsuki crossed her arms, her eyes never leaving the blue haired youth. "Well, what are you doing back here?" She asked, quite peeved at having to search the school grounds for the elusive basketball player. Aomine may not have too many strong suits in academia, but if there was something he excelled at doing besides playing basketball, it was making himself disappear—Tetsu's influence no doubt.

"I forgot something," Aomine pulled out his chair and stuck his hand inside the cubby under his desk,"The latest issue has Horikita Mai on the cover." He took out a magazine and immediately started thumbing through it.

Momoi sighed. She wished Aomine showed more interest in going to practice than looking through gravure magazines all day. There wasn't much of an issue with having him attend on the first day of club, but having him show up for daily practice was another matter. She remembered a time when Aomine had been the most enthusiastic about playing basketball, rarely resting till he could dribble a ball again. She supported him wholeheartedly, but she was at a loss about getting the stubborn player to show a bit more diligence.

Today was a lost cause, she conceded to defeat as Aomine kicked back his feet on his desk.

"Neh, whose bag is that?" Momoi gestured, just noticing the other messenger bag beside his.

Aomine flipped to another page, barely missing a beat, "That girl you passed in the hallway."

"And why do you have her bag?" Her eyebrows knitted together. Aomine's silence confirmed what she had already suspected. "Are you bullying her!?"

He merely flipped to another page, unaffected by Momoi's incessant questions.

"Dai-chan!" She pulled on the edges of the magazine.

Aomine made a guttural noise at the back of his throat, "Knock it off, Satsuki."

Exasperated, Momoi collapsed on a chair opposite of him. "What am I going to do with you?" She gazed at the tops of his blue hair. He really had grown so much since when they were kids. She was nostalgic for the energetic youth who was a bit mischievous but good-natured.

"I was just teasing her a little." She looked up at Aomine's unexpected response, "For kicking me."

_Can't say I blame her._ Momoi hid a smile just behind an attentive nod.

"Eh?" Aomine lowered the magazine, "What was that?"

"You're hearing things, Dai-chan." She gave him dazzling smile which only confused him more.

.x.

"Here you go."

Reina mouthed a thank you to The Foto Club's president as she held the camera in her hands. She wasn't sure who she was expecting this "Yamamoto-senpai" to look like, but she certainly didn't expect him to be a tall and broad-shouldered second year student with an infectious smile.

Yamamoto Eiji had a smile that put her at ease, faint dimples just close enough to sides of his lips coupled with a set of kind golden brown eyes that seemed at odds with his strong, masculine features. No wonder Kano spoke of him with such tenderness in her voice. The girl was smitten.

"Have you used this type of camera before?"

She nodded, "I use to have an earlier model, but I'll compensate." She ran her hands along the edges of the 35mm camera. It was a silver Canon-AE1, something she was already familiar with judging from the build. Reina was confident enough she could work with it, but no doubt will consult her guidebooks if necessary.

"Since you missed the beginning of the meeting, I was telling the other freshmen that if you're interested in other clubs, don't hesitate to join. We're pretty flexible with schedule. We meet two to three times a week, but usually you really just need to attend once or twice, and it's mostly studio hours." Yamamoto explained.

Reina was aware that Tōō High put a lot more focus on their athletics than any other general areas, so it was no surprise to learn that Yamamoto had joined the swim team in his freshman year. She felt a spark of awe to find out that he started The Foto Club shortly after to provide an outlet for his other passion.

"Our weekly photography assignments are mostly for the school newspaper, so any deadlines are usually in correlation with their issue. However, we do small photo exercises that you can do and then show for critique every two weeks." Yamamoto paused, sensing Reina's anxiety, "But don't worry about it. You only need to pick one of your best shots over the course of two weeks. The club room is open on most days so members can use the dark room whenever. If not, come find me or Ishi-san, our VP for the key."

"Sorry to interrupt, Yamamoto-senpai." Kano waved off apologetically, "There's someone here to see Ayase-san."

"Me?" Reina blinked, her eyes floating towards the door to see the familiar pink haired girl she passed by earlier.

"Ah! Momoi-san, good to see you." Yamamoto greeted her, "I need to talk to you about the basketball club's group photo for the school newspaper this week. Unfortunately, Tanaka-kun is out sick for the week so he won't be taking the shots-" He paused mid-sentence, his head turning to glance at Reina. "Actually, Ayase-san, would you be comfortable enough to take some photos for the school paper? We're really in a tight-spot."

Reina felt her eyebrows cross. How could anyone decline if he smiled at them like that? She suspected it was how he was able to get by all this time. She let out a sigh, and then agreed to appease that pleading gaze.

"Great! Then it's all set. Come see me before you leave so I can give you the dSLR. I'll leave the details to Momoi-san here. She's the basketball club's manager. She will fill in the rest." He offered a few parting words to Momoi before excusing himself.

She became suddenly aware of the other girl's presence the moment Yamamoto left. "You wanted to see me?"

"I'm not really good with introductions, but I'm Momoi Satsuki, and you're Ayase Reina-chan?"

_-chan? _Reina wasn't all that ignorant of Japanese culture and was pretty well acquainted with their honorifics. She was sure that Momoi had just established a close connection to her on their first meeting.

"Yes?"

Momoi produced her school bag, "Here you go. I got it back from Aomine-kun." She smiled sheepishly, "I apologize for his behavior. He's really a nice guy, you know."

Aomine was a menagerie of many words, many of which would be deemed too vulgar for a young lady to say, but _nice_ was not an adjective she would label that son of a-

"But he's an ass."

Her lips parted, her eyes staring at Momoi before laughing. "That's unexpected."

She crossed her arms, "He is." Momoi punctuated with a nod.

Her shoulders drop, the tension easing out of her muscles. "Thanks for bringing this back, Momoi-san."

"Call me Satsuki. Do you mind if I call you Rei-chan?"

She shrugged, "I'm used to being called by my first name anyway."

Reina recoiled for a moment when the other girl clasped her hand, "Good meeting you, Rei-chan! I'll see you Friday afternoon? The shoot shouldn't take too long, granted all the members will be there." She let out a dejected sigh, "Aomine-kun might be problematic."

_Might?_ Reina could tell "regret" will be something she will have to get used to.

.x.

Reina paused in the middle of the hallway, covering her mouth as a yawn escaped her lips. She spent an extra hour the night before testing out the dSLR Yamamoto had lent her. It wasn't that she didn't know how to use the damned thing, she was just not used to any of the other added functions. She was very much more attuned with the simplicity of analog cameras. She made a mental note to make up for the sleep she lost for early mornings were a usual uphill struggle.

"Yo, Rei-chan."

Reina choked. She dug her heel hard into the floor and whirled herself around.

Aomine greeted her with a smirk, the kind that scraped away her patience. When the initial shock of having him say her name like that wore off, she was even more amaze to see him in school so early in the morning.

She took a breath, her muscles tightening in anticipation. Aomine walked by her with a passing glance just before he entering their classroom, "Good morning to you too, _Dai-chan."_

For the first time, Reina saw a genuine look of surprise on his face, devoid of any mockery. He must have been as surprised as she was. Aomine narrowed his eyes, meeting hers with such scrutiny she had to fight the urge to look elsewhere, but compromised on landing her gaze between the spaces of his eyebrows.

They both realized in a small instant that the pink haired girl might have played a part in their little exchange, perhaps nothing so heavy-handed but enough to predict how the other two's personalities would interact.

Reina tried to imagined herself choking Momoi Satsuki, but she couldn't do it.

There was a stillness between them before he spoke, "Satsuki, huh?" The lines on his face softened. "So annoying." He declared before turning away.

"Don't call me that though." Reina spoke in a hushed tone as she followed him inside.

Fortunately, not too many of her peers had arrived, not even Sakurai or Kano. It provided a small window of privacy.

"What, _Rei-chan_?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yes, _Ahomine._"

"Hah? Shut your mouth, _Rei-chan."_ He pulled out his chair, placing his bag on the side before collapsing on it.

Reina shook off that scowl he wore so well, "Keep making that face and it really will stay that way."

"But you like looking at this face."

"Don't be ridiculous." This fool was really trying to start something so early in the day. Maybe, she should have eaten another serving at breakfast before leaving home. She strongly suspected it was going to be a long, arduous day.

* * *

.x.

Hana: Thanks for reading! Reina is the type of person who can be pretty funny without meaning to. I don't think she realizes it, but only because she considers herself a serious kind of person, not one to make jokes-at least not as her first intention.

What do you guys think of Yamamoto? I've been watching_ Free!_ lately, and I couldn't help but put in a muscley swimmer that Gou-chan would surely approve ;)

P.S

This is a bit of a shameless plugin, but check out TheKiro's KnB stories. Her Aomine inspired me a great deal to finally move my butt to write this story that's been floating around in my head for quite some time.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello! Sorry for the delay. I got caught up in some work stuff and this got held back, but here's a longer chapter! It's about 12am here and I did a few quick edits before posting this. I'll go back and do a more thorough check when I'm not so tired!

Thanks so much for all the faves, follows, and reviews! Nice to know other people are enjoying this as well :)

* * *

**Neutral Ground**

**Chapter Four:**

He dreamt of a summer spent wearing down the soles of his sneakers, feeling the rough indents on the orange basketball, the way the ball lifted off his fingers and into the net with a grace all his own. He could feel the heat rising from the asphalt, catching the faint stench of sweat and a hint of flowers whose names were foreign to him.

A blur of green and grey, the trees and the pavement, and the sound of his sneakers grinding down the cement in tune with every dribble. The rush of adrenaline came and went like a soft zephyr caressing his skin. It was a time when his body felt as light and intangible as the wind.

He heard a boy laughing, innocent and untainted by anything like pride or prestige.

Aomine woke with a jerk, eyes still heavy with sleep. He rolled to the side, extending an arm to grab his alarm clock. 5:00 AM. He groaned, another morning waking up long before his alarm clock should have gone off. He wasn't the type to lose sleep over anything, but something about that dream made him restless—the ghost of his younger self haunting the halls of his subconscious.

He brought a hand over his face, pinching the skin between his eyebrows. He wanted nothing more than to lull back to sleep for another hour or two, but his mind was running with thoughts he didn't want to revisit in the darkness behind his eyelids.

With a bit of conviction, Aomine kicked off his covers, the fabric easily rolling off the edges of his bed. He noticed that he had almost outgrown the length of his mattress, his feet nearly dangling at the end of it. The combination of genes and puberty had shot up his height in that one summer before high school. He supposed he never minded the extra few inches, it made basketball all the more effortless. It was a strange time, even for him—a confusion over why his clothes didn't quite fit as well, and his sudden laser focus on the opposite gender, but beyond their physical attributes, he found them troublesome.

Satsuki was no exception. It was their shared proximity to their homes, the route to their grade school and their mutual love for basketball that sparked their friendship. Aomine suspected Satsuki's own interest in the sport didn't quite bloom to its full capacity till she met Tetsu. The Phantom Sixth had an annoying tendency to leave an impressionable outlook on anyone.

He felt a slight twang of something close to pain inside his chest, a tightening of his lungs—a sharp dose of guilt, he thought. Aomine clicked his tongue, irritated at his inability to push away Kuroko's incessant presence in his mind. The anger was still fresh, but it was masked with a thick coat of disappointment. He didn't doubt their paths would cross soon enough, and then he would just have to see what kind of basketball Kuroko played.

Basketball. Aomine reached out for his cellphone on his nightstand, flicking the device open and opening his mailbox. Satsuki had sent him messages the night before reminding him of their afternoon practices to which they both knew there was a very low percentage of him ever going.

His eyes scanned the last line of text.

_Rei-chan is coming to practice to take our club photos! Be there._

He scoffed. _Rei-chan? _He didn't know when exactly the two suddenly became bosom buddies, but Satsuki seemed to have become quite taken by the other girl. Ayase Reina had kicked him in the back of his leg. His opinions of her were less enthusiastic than Satsuki's. She had a pair of honest storm grey eyes with a peculiar sharpness to them that put Aomine on edge. It seemed to contrast her otherwise soft appearance—she had an oval face framed by a thick black mane, a button nose that came to a gentle slope, and lips whose color reminded him of peaches. She was by no means striking. Aomine thought her ordinary, and she carried it like a badge. He would never understand people who celebrated their mediocrity. He was the best at what he did because he never settled for less, his talents with the ball came easily to him, and to have been born in any other way was pitiable.

. x .

"You _really_ can't come with me to the gym?"

Kano Manami twirled her chopsticks before using them to pick at a radish in her bento, "Sorry, Ayase-san, I have family coming over for dinner tonight so I have to rush home after class."

Reina sighed, setting her own utensil aside. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the soft breeze that passed through. She and Kano opt to eat their lunch on the roof, much to Reina's relief. She managed to exit their classroom without incident. She was sure Aomine was going to resort to his usual brutish tactics of stealing her and Sakurai's lunch, but he left their homeroom as soon as the bell rang. Reina thought he was even more irritated and moody than his usual self which she hadn't thought possible.

"I guess I'll just have to go at it with some bravado."

"That's the spirit! I'm sure you'll do fine. Though I'd watch out for their captain." Kano involuntary shook, "There's something sly about him."

"Why do you say that?"

"I've only really seen him once or twice, but the way he smiles at you just... creeps me out."

"Is that really a fair assessment though?," Reina mused, "I'll confirm."

"You aren't planning to kick him in the leg are you?"

"Of course not!" Reina crossed her arms, "Violence only begets violence."

Kano paused, a bit taken a back, "You sound like a wise _oba-san." _She noted with a teasing smile.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Reina twirled the last few strands of noodles inside her bento box before eating it. She hadn't really thought much about the assignment till the night before, but a sudden anxiety had crept on her while she had slept. She woke up feeling like a metal coil that had been sprung too tight. The nervousness was understandable—noting that it was her first _job_ for the school's newspaper, and that working with people is stressful in itself. She was used to photographing landscapes and still lifes that photographing people became something she dreaded. Reina wasn't particularly adverse to it, but she preferred doing portraits that place her and her subject in an intimate space.

Despite her initial grievances about, she knew she had no choice but to go along with the assignment. At best, it was a learning experience. According to Yamamoto-senpai, she would need a group shot of the basketball team, a couple of action shots, and a portraits of each member. The thought of having to work with Aomine did make the job less appealing, and she could only hope he would cooperate. He had a talent for making neanderthals look civil.

"Neh, Ayase-san—"

"_Reina_."

"Reina...san," Kano added reluctantly. Reina sighed, knowing suffixes were tied to level of intimacy, and frankly, she never put weight in any to it till her mother had gently reminded her when she finally got her bearings in Japan. She had much rather preferred the other girl addressed her by her first name, but Kano's hesitation was to be expected. Reina, in turn, had politely inquired whether she could address her as "Manami" rather than her surname. Kano, much to Reina's teasing, had been a lot more shy than she let on. As their female class representative, she exuded a gentle but firm authority without losing any of her enthusiasm, but she had a tendency to shy away from intimacy of nicknames or even being called by her first name.

Reina thought it odd, but she had no authority in saying so.

Kano took a breath, "It seemed you and Aomine-kun had been getting along a lot better in the last few days."

"It wasn't like I couldn't get along with him. He's a difficult person to interact with. Every thing he does and say is made to aggravate. Not sure if that's just his way of relating to others, but I don't necessarily see that as a healthy way of interacting."

She gave Reina knowing look, "That's a deep assessment for someone who barely spoke to him."

Reina shrugged, "I don't know what idea you're getting in your head there, but Aomine isn't all that complicated to figure out—at least not with the persona he's doning on."

"And you're an expert on Aomine-kun's persona?"

Reina made a sound of protest, "You're making me sound like a weirdo."

"Just telling it how I see it."

.x.

When Reina arrived at the gym later that afternoon, Satsuki was there to greet her with the kind of enthusiasm that made her a little embarrassed. She wasted no time introducing her to the other team members as "Rei-chan" before she could say otherwise. She supposed she didn't mind it so much, but it was a bit jarring.

"Ayase-san?" Reina looked up from tinkering with the dSLR to meeting a pair of sharp, intelligent eyes.

"Imayoshi-senpai," She started, "Sorry for the disturbance. I'll try to do my job without getting in the way."

The basketball captain waved her off, "Don't worry about it too much. Having someone take pictures here will motivate these ruffians to show-off a little." He laughed gesturing at the rest of the team practicing their dribbles, "Unfortunately, we are missing our ace-"

"Where the hell is that bastard Aomine!?" A tall broad-shouldered blonde stomped over to a cowering Sakurai.

"G-Gomen nasai! He left class early so I wasn't able to say anything."

"I bet he's skipping again that narcissistic asshole."

Imayoshi clicked his tongue, "Wakamatsu, just focus on practice for now. He'll show up eventually." He offered an apology to Reina before retreating back to directing the rest of his team. Something about his politeness put her on edge, but she couldn't find a suitable reason why exactly.

By the end of practice, Reina managed to take several shots that had some potential. She was quite relieved that her inexperienced didn't hinder her too much. The credit was due to just how cooperative the rest of the team was when she fumbled with the camera settings, and were gracious enough at certain points to repeat part of their practice routine so she could have several key shots. She was also pleasant surprised at how focused Sakurai had been, but only when he wasn't aware that she was taking photos of him. Otherwise, his nervous demeanor got the best of him and he ended up looking like a frightened animal in every shot. Besides, Sakurai's hilarious candid photographs, the rest of the team were much more accustomed to having their pictures taken. It made her nervousness ease off for the duration of the practice.

Much to their everyone's annoyance, Aomine Daiki never did show up.

"I'm sorry about this, Rei-chan." Satsuki bowed, "You might have to come back next practice to take the group photo. I suppose you would need some shots of Aomine-kun too, right?"

Reina wished she didn't have to, but it would be ridiculous to have a photo of their basketball team without the ace no matter how much she may find him an aggravating nuisance.

"It shouldn't be a problem if I explain the circumstances to Yamamoto-senpai. We still have a some time left before the photographs are due."

The situation was out of her hands and there wasn't much she could do in finishing the assignment till Aomine could be at practice. She shared Satsuki's disappointment, but perhaps not necessarily for the same reasons. She hardly knew Aomine to worry about how he was performing at basketball, whether he was a team player, or even if he was deliberately jeopardizing his talents by neglecting to attend practice.

She was more disappointed to meet someone so selfish that they seemed completely oblivious to the effect it had on others. Actions had consequences like the ripples on a surface of water, and very rarely was it ever an isolated incident. She scoffed knowing that Aomine already lived in his very own singular universe where he was at the center of it. Reina commended Satsuki's efforts as the team's manager having to deal with a difficult personality like Aomine's.

The trek back to the club room was much shorter from the gymnasium when she took the route just behind the building. It gave her ample time to pick up her bag from the club room and upload the photographs to the school's server. A nagging guilt had began to plant itself when she had noticed the time nearing seven just because she had a paranoia about walking home once the sun set in a neighborhood she wasn't all too familiar yet.

Once she had gathered her things, she locked up the club room and left the spare key inside the club's mailbox on Yamamoto's instructions. She left in quick strides, determined to exit the school grounds as fast as her legs could carry her. Just as she was exiting the building and rounding the corner to a private grove, she spotted Aomine jumping off a railing, his feet landing firmly on the ground.

She glanced up at the stairs that led to a door, suspecting that it was a side entrance to the top of the building. Wakamatsu had been right to say about Aomine skipping practice.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Aomine's voice startled her out of her thoughts, "Did you hear me?" His impatience palpable with each syllable.

"I heard you." She replied, briefly stepping back and considering an alternative route—one that didn't have Aomine Daiki's hulking figure in view. She was far too exhausted to exchange banters with him, but even more exhausted to give into her pride.

"You never showed up." She lifted the leg she had taken a step back with and firmly planted it forward.

Aomine shrugged, his eyes following her as she walked pass him.

She was keenly aware of his presence behind her, no doubt anyone would. He gave off an intimidating, suffocating aura even without meaning to.

"Satsuki was really mad, you know. And so was Wakamatsu-senpai."

"Don't care about what that bastard thinks."

Reina bit her tongue. Funny how those two seemed so similar in their dislike for the other.

"You don't seem like you care much about anything."

By then Aomine had caught up to her with two long strides, "Most things bore me."

Reina took in his disheveled appearance. He had loosened his tie and untucked his shirt, the creases on the folds looked like deep crevices.

"Even basketball?"

"What do _you_ know of it?"

Reina tucked a lose strand of her dark hair, "Enough to know that you're disinterested."

His silence confirmed her suspicions.

"You never answered me."

"What?"

Aomine made another noise of annoyance, "You're a bit slow, you know that? I _asked_ you what you were still doing here."

Reina rolled her eyes, "At least you have a talent for deflecting." She grumbled, ignoring the sharp look he gave her, "And I was just in the club room uploading the photos I took today. The very same ones you're suppose to be in, you know, being the _ace _and all."

He smirked, "Someone sounds bitter."

"You're mistaking my annoyance for something else entirely," Reina countered without missing a beat.

"What is it then?" Aomine prodded, blue eyes meeting hers. "Why do you care so much if I go to practice or not?"

Reina shook her head, "I don't." He let out a laugh, melodious but in way that made her feel extremely self aware.

Suddenly, it dawned on her that she ended up walking her usual route to the bus station with Aomine in tow. She shifted her bag to her other shoulder, using it to distance herself from him, an object to divide her space from his.

"Hey, come with me to Majin Burgers."

Reina whipped her head so fast in his direction, her neck straining to look up, "Why would I do that?" She blurted out.

Aomine looked at her incredulously, thick eyebrows knitted together, "Why? Why not?"

"Because I don't want to? Because you're an ass? And I don't even know where that place is."

He palmed his face in aggravation, "Who the hell cares." Reina opened her mouth the further explain the principles of disliking another human being, but Aomine grabbed her bag and slung it over his shoulders.

"Just go with me. I'll buy you a damn burger." He growled, pulling back when she attempted to slide the straps off his broad shoulders.

"Two."

"Fuck off."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I had trouble writing this chapter at first, but I finally got the flow just right! Sorry for the delay. I had written quite a lot for this one and decided to push some things for the next chapter instead of cramming it all here.

Once again, thanks to you all lovely readers for faving, following and commenting! I will be sending replies to comments soon if I haven't already.

* * *

Neutral Ground

Chapter Five:

She palmed the cool surface of the table, her eyes tracing the lines on the marble surface. An imitation, she thought to herself. Aomine had spoken of the place with a sentiment that she suspected was tied to his frequent visits. She could see the appeal. Maji Burgers had a lively atmosphere, bustling customers of all ages, and an impressive array of burgers on their menu. Most seemed utterly outlandish—a haphazard combination of ingredients that yielded unexpected results. It was definitely not a palette for the less adventurous.

She tapped her fingers in tune with the music while she scanned the crowd for Aomine in time to see him walking up to their table.

"Need help with-" Reina paused halfway from standing up, her mouth gaping, "You ordered all of that!?" Her eyes scrutinizing the pile of burgers on the tray he placed on the table.

"Cheaper this way."

She raised a skeptical brow, "If you say so..."

Aomine collapsed on the seat opposite of her and wasted no time on letting the food sit unattended.

She took a burger to her lips, savoring the scent before taking a bite. Reina let out a moan, silently thanking the corporate gods for making something delicious like a _teriyaki_ burger for mass consumption. She could, for the moment, forget that Aomine had paid for the meal. Good manners had dictated she express her gratitude but Aomine had brushed it off with a nonchalant shrug.

A few solid hearty bites later, she reached for her second one with no hesitation.

"That's your last one." She heard Aomine say as her teeth sank into burger. Reina ripped a piece and started chewing slowly. As if sensing her confusion, he added, "You said _two_ burgers. That's your second one. No more after this."

Reina scoffed, nearly choking. She grabbed for her soda to wash away the stubborn chunk in her throat. "Thanks for keeping tabs." She placed the burger on the edge of the plate, "You're very generous." Her tone laced with sarcasm and spite.

"You're welcome."

Her appetite had waned off, uneasy had replaced it. She was unsure if she had the right to feel slighted, knowing that he had offered (though forcefully) to pay for her and she had demanded just a bit more than what he had intended.

Fidgeting in her seat, Reina uncrossed her legs from under the table only to find that she was unable to do so. She looked under the table and saw Aomine's legs stretched across as if caging her own in between his long limbs.

"Aomine, how tall are you?"

He took another bite and washed down the rest with a slurp from his cola, "192cm. Why?"

"192cm? What is that in feet?" She wondered out loud, mentally struggling to calculate centimeters to inches then to feet.

"Don't hurt yourself thinking about it too much. It's 6'3."

She wondered if Aomine had already reached the peak of his puberty or if his genes will give him a few more inches. It was unnerving standing next to him.

"You just have long legs." She finally noted, almost as if to commit to memory.

"Is that your way of hitting on me or something?" Aomine pushed his legs out, stretching further so the flat of his shoes pushed up against the booth.

Reina drew her own limbs closer to the seat, her calves pressing hard against the leather. She waved him off, eyes rolling back. "Yes, yes, I have a thing for tall guys."

"Not interested." He flatly dismissed.

She slammed her hands on the table, eyes wide with disbelief, "Wait, wait, wait. Hypothetically speaking in a hypothetical situation if I _hypothetically_ found you attractive and I told you I'm interested in you..."

"Hypothetically speaking_? "_ Aomine repeated, his voice drawn out as if the words were slow to roll off his tongue.

"Yes. Hypothetically speaking-" Reina tapping her fingers for added emphasis, "You would reject me?"

"Well," He thoughtfully considered, "_Hypothetically? _Not interested in someone who is barely a B."

Reina tilted her head to the side, "B?" She echoed in confusion, his words lost to her for a moment before it came crashing down. She kicked him from underneath the table, "Hey! Eyes up here." She motioned her fingers up, eyes beaming with righteous indignation.

"Not much to look at anyway."

She gave him another hard kick, Aomine's leg barely budging.

"Cut that shit out. Not my fault your tits are small-"

"_Ahomine!_" Reina threw head back, exasperated. Just how was anyone able to have a decent conversation with him? In retrospect, his friendship with Satsuki seemed like an anomaly.

She leaned back into the seat, the soft leather cushioning her form. When she raised her gaze to meet his, she caught a glint of amusement. It was a hint for her to take his behavior as simply that of a teenager with a crude sense of humor. Still, it didn't make her any less uncomfortable.

Aomine simply resumed drinking out of his straw, his demeanor relaxed and unperturbed. It was the kind of calm that was born out of his boredom.

She let her gaze wander to the view outside the window, the nature of their banter finally sinking in. Admittedly, there was _something _attractive about Aomine, if that something was purely on the basis of his looks, but beyond that, she found his poor attitude enough of an aversion.

Reina caught a street light flicker against the dark, moths had gathered around the warm light in tiny black spots. A memory of her hometown with their monotonous street lights next to identical houses brought about a feeling of nostalgia. She didn't think she was particularly attached to neighborhood she grew up in, but there was a sensation of missing something she once had. Her current neighborhood was quiet not so unlike her old one, and in many ways it was better. The houses had more character, a unique mix of past and present, old Japanese architecture together with Western influences.

A cold object was suddenly pressed against her cheek. Reina cried out in time for Aomine to withdraw his arm, his drink in hand.

"What the hell was that for?" She hissed, wiping the moisture left by the beverage.

"You were spacing out." There was that smirk of his, the corners of his mouth just pulling out slightly. His eyes had a glint that made her think he enjoyed seeing her frazzled more than he should.

Reina had her better nature reign in her other, more argumentative self and focused her attention on the remaining burgers on their plate. After finishing off her half of the burger, Aomine had long cleaned up his portion.

.x.

"Thanks." Reina looked up at him when they were leaving Maji Burgers.

Aomine stifled a yawn, "Yeah, you said that already."

She held back a remark, knowing not to question Aomine's inability to accept gratitude.

There was a cool breeze that passed them, a momentary buffer between the silence that echoed with each step. Reina glanced down at their uneven pace, noticing just how many steps she had to take to keep up with Aomine's strides. She stretched out her leg, planting long strides to get ahead of him.

His eyes narrowed before slowing down his pace. She counted a step and a half less than what she had to take to keep up before. Aomine, she suspected, would not for the life of him ever admit to being accommodating, but the brief gesture resonating with his step lit a spark of hope that maybe he wasn't so ill-mannered after all.

"Do you always go to Maji Burgers?"

Aomine was quick to answer with a no, but immediately corrected himself, "I did." There was a strange distance to his voice, "Back in middle school."

"And now?"

"Not so much. Didn't feel like going anymore." His disinterest seemed to have weaved itself to every facet of his routine.

She nodded in affirmation, allowing him his silence. Reina found his frankness more refreshing from his usual crude demeanor, but she resigned herself to the notion that it was something that didn't happen too often.

Reina shifted her bag to her opposite shoulder, opening up the space between them, "What made you play basketball?" Another question floated to him, opting more for a diplomatic route rather than asking him why he didn't play basketball as much anymore.

He shrugged, "Why does it matter?"

"It doesn't matter to me personally." Reina replied candidly, "Regardless of how you got to playing basketball, I have nothing to do with it, but it's nice to hear what makes people devote themselves to something."

"Then it doesn't matter if I don't answer you."

Reina shook her head, wondering how to piece together the words to convey that she had well intentions.

With both hands in his pocket, Aomine gestured with his right elbow that they were turning at around the corner. His steel blue eyes seemed to glow a brighter hue, "It's just so damn nosy. Is this your way of finding out what I like for your _hypothetical_ situation of being_ hypothetically_ interested in me?"

"You keep using that word like you know what it means." Her chin lifted just a little higher, eyes firmly rooted to his before letting a smile edge to her lips. "I'm just...curious."

"I have my reasons and you should mind your damn business."

Reina tightened her jaw and resigned herself to walking in silence. Her effort was valiant but anymore of it was futile especially towards someone like Aomine who took every opportune moment to antagonize her. While he was certainly allowed his privacy, there was merit to being tactful. His attitude was generally off-putting, but she wished he made a better attempt at conversation. Aomine's attempts at socializing with her was baffling especially when he was the one who bribed her for her company. She didn't think to question him any further about it. Even with their shaky interactions, she could already tell that Aomine wasn't one to voluntarily divulge any answers if he didn't feel like it.

Reina flipped her cellphone open, opting to scan the map of the area and locate the nearest train station. Aomine was utterly vague about getting to Maji Burgers so she wasn't able to plan her route back home with any certainty.

She cast a nervous glance at Aomine, considering asking him for directions, but his foul attitude made it difficult for her to do so without getting into another useless quibble with him. Reina took another look at her phone before gathering her resolve. Her pride would have to just take a bit of a dent.

"Do you know how to get to the station from here?" He returned her expectant gaze with his silence. Reina bit the inside of her cheek, a habit she had when her patience thinned. "Are you listening?"

Aomine glowered, "Shut up already. Where the hell do you think we're walking to?"

She took in his towering figure walking next to her, the blues of his hair and his olive skin seemed darker bathe under the yellow hue of the street light. Even from where she was, Reina caught the lines that gathered in between his eyebrows and at the corners of his mouth. She mused if Aomine ever got tired of scowling.

"You can't expect me to know where we're going," Reina murmured, "And it isn't my intention to annoy you by asking." Whenever she thought she could find a common ground with him, the terrain would suddenly change. It was uneven, jagged, and unstable much like their unspoken truce.

He grunted in response, and much to Reina's surprise, it was enough to placate him for the time being—she hoped it would last until they part ways. It was like having to watch over a temperamental child. She simply did not have enough mental fortitude to subject herself to his presence any longer. Her respect for Satsuki grew ten-fold at the mere thought of being in the same orbit Aomine inhabited.

The tightness in her chest immediately uncoiled when the station came to view. She darted pass Aomine's baffled gaze, her feet taking her in front of a map. Reina pressed a finger to the surface, tracing the colored lines to where she needed to go in relation to where she was. Her eyes scanned the familiar route of the JR Yamanote line, the route connected the major neighborhoods in Tokyo as well as a convenient transfer point to all the other lines. Her mother had told her if she ever find herself lost, she could easily find her way home if she took the Yamanote line. Every other station connected to it some point. Reina inwardly chuckled, realizing that while her mother's advice had its merit, it was actually ineffective if she didn't even know where to go.

"Need help finding your way home too?"

Aomine had impeccable timing for being an asshole, Reina noted. "I'm managing. No need to worry."

"I'm not worrying, dumbass."

"Well, this dumbass appreciates the concern nonetheless."

"Tch, you're really misunderstanding this situation."

"I didn't know we_ have _a situation going on here."

Before Aomine could refute her one more time, the sound of an incoming train accompanied by the announcement on the speaker filtered through the station. Reina stared at the tops of the staircase then at Aomine before breaking into a full sprint to the turnstiles.

Her breath had caught up to her before she could even retrieve her ID from the caverns of her bag. By the time she located the rectangular pass, Aomine had swiped his with one fluid motion.

"Aomine, go hold the doors or we'll miss the train!" She fumbled as she swiped hers in turn.

"Hah? Why are you rushing? There's another one in-"

Reina took hold if his hand and took off with him stubbornly in tow, "Move!" She yanked at his hand, forcing Aomine to take a few lumbering steps forward. When he made no attempts to move his legs any faster, Reina dropped his hand in frustration and darted up the stairs, skipping a few steps in the hopes to catch the train before it left the station.

She rammed into an elderly man as she reached the top of the stairs, stumbling back on her heels. The back of her right foot slipped on the metal of the steps, and she felt her body sway back. Her eyes widened as she reached out to grip anything but air.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw a whirl of blue yank her forward, around the business man yelling obscenities, and into the closing train doors. Reina braced herself for impact, but a strong grip held her back in time to see an arm shoot out from behind her. A hand gripped the side of the door and with a sudden explosion of force, she boarded the train just as the door slammed shut.

She placed a palm on her chest as she leaned back breathless, eyes tightly shut. She clutched at the fabric and concentrated on easing the persistent pulse. With a few more deep inhales, her heart slowed to an even rhythmic beat and she slowly released her grip on her uniform.

There was a comforting heat emanating against her back and on her hip. Reina's eyelids fluttered open, her gaze falling on a tanned hand holding her in place. She followed the length of the arm to a pair of cobalt blue eyes. Aomine, with his head bent, his chin pulled close to his chest peered down at her, his expression a mix of amusement and annoyance.

The ground had shifted from underneath her feet again, and this time, she found herself leaning against Aomine Daiki and she didn't quite know how to feel about it so she laughed.

"What the hell is so funny?" Aomine growled as if waking from his reverie. He pushed her forward, watching Reina stumble in the midst of her fit, but she only laughed even louder.

Her laughter was rich, something that was coming from deep within the wells of her body and out into the air. It was refreshing like a spring breeze with an underlying warmth to it, a promise of summer. The environment faded out of her immediate consciousness, it was just the sound of her own laughter echoing in the chambers of her mind and the curious tingling she felt in the pits of her stomach.

Reina could still feel his warmth on the skins of her back, a lingering heat that was slowly sinking deep into her pores. Just as she caught her breath, Aomine ripped his gaze away from her, his eyes latching on to a passing view. He's probably as embarrassed as I am, she thought to herself, and she was surprisingly content to let it be.


End file.
